Attraction Details :
In
addition to a significant historical site, Wat Phra Ram is commonly
known among Ayutthaya residents as a recreational area. There is a
large-scale swamp located in front of the temple. It is named Bung Phra
Ram Public Park, or formerly called Nong Sano or Bung Che Khan as stated
in the Monarch Law. When the city of Ayutthaya was established, soil
under the swamp has been dug out to raise the foundation grade of the
temple. The size of the swamp is thus enormous. Phra Ramesuan ordered
the construction of the temple in 1369 at his father’s cremation site.
However the completion actually took place during the reign of Somdet
Phra Borommaracha I (Phra Chao U-thong), so the temple was named after
the king.
The temple stands outside the royal
court complex to the East and is opposite the assembly hall of Wat Phra
Mongkhon Bophit. Its current location is Pratu Chai subdistrict, Phra
Nakorn Si Ayutthaya (Krung Kao) district. The arrangement forms a
quincunx where the main Prang (Khmer-influenced stupa) is in the middle.
The Prang sits on a massive square platform with arch facades on its
west. Its 4 corners are surrounded by Himmaphan mythical creatures.
Observational remarks made by archeologists on the architecture of the
temple are that the Northern temple wall overlaps with the Eastern,
Western and Southern ones; and that the arch facade in the West is
proportional to the Northwestern cloister of the Prang, while the
Northwestern cloister does not even have any arch facade. The
architecture of the temple remains mysterious whether such arrangement
was intentionally meant to serve some purposes. The debris found in Wat
Phra Ram include the Prang, temple walls, pillars inside the ordination
hall, 7 assembly halls, assorted sizes of 28 pagodas dotting around the
Prang. Even though the temple is in ruin, its eternal charm still
portrays the glorious history of Thais. The temple is open to visitors
from 8.00 to 18.00 and after hours with spotlights from 19.30 to 21.00.
The admission fee is 10 baht for Thais and 40 baht for foreigners.
